USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) Day One (July 12, 2020) Fire Analysis, Dr. Salvatore R. Mercogliano

On the morning of Sunday, July 12, 2020, at 8:50 AM PDT, USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) moored at Naval Base San Diego, Pier 2 reported a fire in the lower (Deep V) vehicle deck. The ship activated the emergency response system and a 3-alarm fire was triggered resulting in the dispatch of fire units from Federal, National City, and San Diego Fire Departments, along with crews from neighboring ships. Over the course of the day, the fire grew in intensity, the crews were forced to withdraw due to explosions, and the conflagration spread the length of the entire deck.

Dr. Sal Mercogliano, a naval and maritime historian, former merchant mariner, and firefighter examines the visual evidence of the first day and discusses his assessment of the fire, how it spread throughout the ship, and response by the ship's crew, shore and afloat fire apparatuses.

This is an early examination of the event as fires still smolder on board the ship and a true study of the fire could be months away. All the opinions expressed are based on the evidence as they are known at the time of the recording. The videos used were pulled from YouTube.

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